indy cd & vinyl

REVEREND PEYTON’S BIG DAMN BAND—The Whole Fam Damily

Indiana’s own Reverend Peyton continues to follow his vision of purveying unadorned southern hill-country blues with a slightly modern touch. While the Reverend successfully self-released the Big Damn Band’s first three albums, a major independent came calling, so the band is now signed to SideOneDummy (home to Flogging Molly, Gogol Bordello, and other disciples of traditional types of music updated for modern times). Those who might think this would entail some sort of major change in the band’s approach need only take one listen to the new disc to find that their concerns are unfounded. Continuing to steep themselves in their well-developed sound of dobro and acoustic guitars, washboard, and drums, The Whole Fam Damily simply presents the Big Damn Band’s music with a slightly higher sheen, along with a new-found liking for harmonica and, on “Walmart Killed The Country Store,” distaff harmonies (!) from the queen of the washboard, Breezy Peyton. What is new is a somewhat more pointed and modern political slant within the lyrics of a few of the tunes. In addition to singing about the blues-generating potential of Walmart (the above-mentioned title), the Reverend also looks in on the high cost of healthcare (“Can’t Pay The Bill”—“Lord keep me right/Build my endurance/Because I can’t afford/The health insurance”) and the blues caused by pollution (“The Creek’s Are all Bad”—“PVC’s in the catfish and mercury in the bass/Can’t eat the fish cause the creek’s are all bad’). Too, there is a funny Indiana-referencing take on reality TV on “Your Cousin’s On Cops”.  However, whether the lyrical focus is more modern or traditional in outlining the “hard times but good living” stories conveyed by the band, The Whole Dam Family truly shines when the musical genius of the Reverend’s guitar and dobro work is put to the fore. Whether it be his acoustic picking on “Worn Out Shoe” or his sublime dobro slide on “Mama’s Fried Potatoes,” the Reverend continues to develop and deploy his amazing chops throughout. This is especially evident when both his acoustic and dobro playing are employed (double-tracked) on the same tune, as on the hard-rockin’ “DT’s Or The Devil” (with great rhythms from Jamie and Breezy) or the mellower “John Hughes (The Water Tower’s Heart Is Sore),” making for a knockout sound that is more prominent than on the band’s earlier recordings. Few bands are able to take a traditional sound and truly make it entertaining for a modern audience over the course of an entire album (or a show) as well as the Reverend and his family. Now, with some label funding, the Big Damn Band will be taking their show around the world, as well as continuing to spread their hill-country enthusiasm throughout the States. The Whole Fam Damily contains yet another great example of what they have to offer.
NOTE: Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band will be celebrating the release of their new CD on August 5th with a free, all ages performance at Indy CD and Vinyl.